Chapter 13

Abram and Lot

1 So Abram went up from Egypt to athe 1Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.

2 Now Abram was avery rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.

3 He went 1on his journeys from the 2Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, abetween Bethel and Ai,

4 to the place of the aaltar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 Now aLot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6 And athe land could not 1sustain them 2while dwelling together, bfor their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.

7 aAnd there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now bthe Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.

8 aSo Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.

9 “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.”

10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the 1avalley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord bdestroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like cthe garden of the Lord, dlike the land of Egypt as you go to eZoar.

11 So Lot chose for himself all the 1valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.

12 Abram 1settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot 1settled in athe cities of the 2valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

13 Now athe men of Sodom were wicked 1exceedingly and bsinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “aNow lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, bnorthward and southward and eastward and westward;

15 afor all the land which you see, bI will give it to you and to your 1descendants forever.

16 “I will make your 1descendants aas the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your 1descendants can also be numbered.

17 “Arise, awalk about the land through its length and breadth; for bI will give it to you.”

18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the 1aoaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built ban altar to the Lord.